Coop recommendations

[The Bougie Chicks]

Hi Everyone,
I’m new to raising chickens and and getting a little overwhelmed looking for the right size coop. Some of the descriptions can be confusing for example they will say they can house 5-7 chickens and as I continue to read it will say 3-5 full grown chickens. Can anyone recommend some good coops for 6 chickens please and thank you

 

[TooCheep]

If you are looking at standard prefab coops, they lie, they lie, they lie.

My initial coop (prefab) was rated for 6 chickens, but was slightly crowded for 3. The prefab coop sellers use factory farm numbers for spacing. That is way overcrowded for the health and welfare of your chickens and most backyard chicken owners use more humane numbers: 1ft/bird on roost, 4sqft/bird in the coop, 10sqft/bird in the run area.

 

[The Bougie Chicks]

If you are looking at standard prefab coops, they lie, they lie, they lie.

My initial coop (prefab) was rated for 6 chickens, but was slightly crowded for 3. The prefab coop sellers use factory farm numbers for spacing. That is way overcrowded for the health and welfare of your chickens and most backyard chicken owners use more humane numbers: 1ft/bird on roost, 4sqft/bird in the coop, 10sqft/bird in the run area.

I think I have to agree with you. It might just be easier to build one . Thank you for the reply

 

[TooCheep]

I think I have to agree with you. It might just be easier to build one . Thank you for the reply

I'd recommend looking in the Articles | Chicken Coop sections for plenty of ideas and example builds.

 

[aart]

getting a little overwhelmed

Yep, it's a bit like trying to get a sip of water out of a firehose.
Take your time and get it right(or mostly) the first time.
It can be easy to keep chickens, but it's a LOT of work to get things ready for it to be eaay down the road.
Learn what a good coop really is and build towards that.

I think I have to agree with you. It might just be easier to build one

Might not be easy at first, but definitely can be much easier once it's done.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

You are SO smart to ask here before buying! Pre fab is sub par, do a different plan for 6. You really do not have to be a carpenter. Upcycle or modify something. I used a dog house for 6, it was perfect with just adding a base under it and a run, obviously roost bars, nest boxes and door. Fast forward to now I'm a pro, lol! All because of using that dog house. I've seen awesome metal sheds turned coop, modified greenhouses, etc. etc. Such a better use of the same money. The coops section has so many great ideas. It can take a long time reading through and not all articles have great pictures. So use Pinterest too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/medium-coops.19/